Archive of: August 2016

The Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee endorsed Jim Langevin Thursday night in his reelection bid to represent the Second District in the United States Congress.
“It was wonderful to have Jim at our meeting so we could offer our full support of his campaign for reelection. Jim shares our priorities, as well as our hopes for a stronger Rhode Island, a more equal nation, and a more peaceful world,” said Chairwoman Gloria Rhodes. “We’re proud to have him by our side as we all work together for the good of our state.”
Langevin started his career in public service in 1986 when he was elected to the state’s Constitutional Convention. He later served as a State Representative and was then elected Secretary of State in 1994. Langevin was elected to the United States Congress in 2000, and currently serves as a senior member of both the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees.
“I am honored and humbled to add the endorsement of the Hopkinton Democratic Town Committee to the list of organizations supporting my campaign for reelection,” said Langevin. “I am as focused and enthusiastic as ever about serving the people of Rhode Island, and it means so much to have people like Chairwoman Rhodes and the Hopkinton committee members supporting me in my efforts.”
In the 2016 election, Langevin has already received endorsements from the Rhode Island Democratic Party State Committee; the Rhode Island Association of Democratic City and Town Chairs; Democratic Town Committees in Burrillville, East Greenwich, Exeter, Johnston, North Kingstown, Providence, and Warwick; and from the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, and the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council.

The two Democrats, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and 2nd District Rep. James Langevin, started on Railroad Avenue, where the Westerly Higher Education and Job Skills Center is under construction. They then moved to Westerly Hospital, where they learned about a proposed collaboration between the hospital and Wood River Health Services. A tour of the South County Health Medical and Wellness Center, near Dunn’s Corners, followed.

While Electric Boat will serve as the initial anchor tenant of the education and jobs skills center, the facility will offer training opportunities related to other endeavors. James Purcell, state commissioner of postsecondary education, said medical coding and related training is likely to be offered eventually, as well as more generalized computer classes. “We want to address the health care worker shortage,” he said.

In some cases, Purcell said, the center will serve as an intermediary step between high school and the workforce.

“I think it’s going to create a community of workers,” he said.

John P. Casey, executive vice president of Electric Boat’s Marine Systems group, said finding trained workers is critical to the company’s ability to meet the demands of a contract with the U.S. Navy that calls for the construction of 10 Virginia-class attack submarines by 2023. About 3,000 additional workers will eventually be needed at the company’s Quonset Point location.

Joining the tour were other Electric Boat officials, state Sen. Dennis Algiere, R-Westerly, and state Rep. Sam Azzinaro, D-Westerly.

Charles Royce, whose Royce Family Fund contributed $1.7 million toward the estimated $4.5 million cost of the project, said offering a range of training opportunities will sustain the center.

“There’s a little bit of ‘build it and they will come,’ but because we’ve created it to be multipurpose and we do use other institutions, I think we’ve created the right mix,” Royce said.

The state Office of the Post-Secondary Commissioner will lease the facility from the Royce fund.

The center is expected to partially open in mid-November. The Community College of Rhode Island is working with Electric Boat to develop a curriculum for students. The University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island College are expected to use the facility as well.

Bruce Cummings, L+M Healthcare president and chief executive officer, said he had instructed his staff to work with Amy Grzybowski, the center’s executive director, to match the hospital’s need for employee training with services the center might be able to offer.

Electric Boat is expected to use 14,500 square feet of classroom space, but another 20,000 square feet will be available for other uses.

At Westerly Hospital, Langevin and Whitehouse received a briefing on an application filed with the federal Health Resources Services Administration for $900,000 to establish a satellite office of Wood River Health Facilities at Westerly Hospital. If approved, the Hope Valley-based health center would offer urgent care, primary care, and behavioral health services at the hospital. The services are planned for the hospital’s former Women’s Health Center, which closed in 2013 when L+M Healthcare purchased Westerly Hospital.

Patients are more likely to make use of behavioral-health services when they are integrated along with other medical services, said Michael Lichtenstein, Wood River Health Services president and chief executive officer.

Westerly Hospital and the health center have a longstanding collaborative relationship, Cummings said. Many of the center’s doctors are on the hospital’s medical staff. The proposal is similar to L+M’s Connecticut physicians’ group offices, which offer behavioral-health services, Cummings said. “Our physicians find this to be extremely valuable,” he said, adding that studies show about 40 percent of patients seeking medical care are also in need of behavioral health care.

Whitehouse said he periodically spends an evening in the emergency department at Rhode Island Hospital to get an on-the-ground understanding of health-care issues. He said he has often seen police accompany ambulances carrying patients who are need of medical and behavioral health care.

The two-story, 30,000-square-foot South County Health medical center offers a range of services under one roof, including urgent and walk-in care, primary care, women’s health services, ob/gyn, 3D mammography, X-ray services, ultrasound and cardiology. Most of the services are provided by doctors, nurses and other providers who work under the South County Health system umbrella, which includes South County Hospital in Wakefield. Bryan Liese, the system’s physician practice administrator, and Lou Giancola, South County Health president and chief executive officer, gave Whitehouse and Langevin a tour of the facility.

“We’re bringing these groups of providers together in an effort to coordinate care,” Liese said.

Dr. James McCormick said he has gained about eight new patients per week since the facility opened in May. Overall, Liese said, new patients have so far made up about 50 percent of the patient pool seen by the specialists who practice at the center. “There is definitely a demand in the community, so we are happy we are here,” Liese said.

Langevin said the center is an example of what legislators hoped would develop as a result of federal health-care reform efforts.

“Ultimately the hope is better care and lower costs in the long run,” Langevin said.

The Undersea Technology Innovation Center will promote advanced learning in the undersea sector and the rapid development, testing and commercialization of innovative undersea technology for commercial, academic and defense organizations.

“As the Brookings report noted, our maritime sector is one of the Rhode Island economy’s true strengths, a competitive advantage, and an industry growth area that we should continue to invest in,” Rhode Island Gov. Gina M. Raimondo said in the release, referring to the January report “Rhode Island Innovates: A Competitive Strategy for the Ocean State,” written by the Brookings Institution’s Mark Muro and Bruce Katz. “SENEDIA is one of our Real Jobs RI job-training partners, our industry partner for the P-TECH cybersecurity program, and a recipient of a Commerce Corporation Industry Cluster Grant. SENEDIA’s Undersea Technology Innovation Center is an exciting and very promising development for Rhode Island defense industry employers and the prospect of creating high-value, high-wage STEM jobs.

“I want to ensure Rhode Island remains at the forefront of undersea technology and this new center has the potential to bring top naval suppliers together with academic and government leaders to develop cutting-edge capabilities, concepts, and technologies for our forces,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The Undersea Technology Innovation Center can also give Rhode Island companies a platform to collaborate and showcase their work.”

“Between our geographic advantage and the tremendous public and private resources we already possess in the national security and defense realms, Rhode Island is perfectly positioned to emerge as a leader in undersea technology and innovation,” said Rep. Jim Langevin, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee who sits on the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee. “I applaud SENEDIA for their vision in making our state a center of excellence, and I look forward to working with the stakeholders involved in this initiative.”

“There could be no better place than the Ocean State to host a national hub for the development of cutting-edge undersea technology,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. “Thanks to SENEDIA and its Rhode Island partners for their commitment to excellence in this area. Your work will keep Rhode Island at the forefront of maritime innovation.”

“Rhode Island is home to a wealth of undersea capabilities,” said Molly Magee, executive director of SENEDIA.

In June 2016, SENEDIA was awarded a grant by the van Beuren Charitable Foundation to begin the strategic planning to formalize Rhode Island as a national leader in undersea technology. The development of the innovation center is one part of that effort. Initial steps will be to develop a virtual undersea technology innovation center. This will be followed by establishing the physical center.

State leaders representing the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Raytheon, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography, General Dynamics Electric Boat, and Salve Regina Pell Center, in addition to SENEDIA leadership, have already come together to kick off the center’s planning, and have committed their support and advocacy in setting the direction of the organization. The steering committee will continue to evolve as it looks to welcome key members of the Rhode Island commercial and small business markets.

“SENEDIA looks forward to collaborating with all the companies, organizations, academic programs and others that have a role in undersea technology to make this center the leading hub of undersea technology innovation,” Magee said.

SENEDIA is Southeastern New England’s catalyst for thought leadership and innovation in undersea technology, cybersecurity and defense technologies. The organization is focused on providing its members and the region with the latest information about opportunities in the defense and homeland security sectors and facilitating the associated workforce development efforts. SENEDIA has over 90 members from the region with 15 new members and 76 renewal memberships since January 2016.

The grant, for CCRI’s Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center, was announced Tuesday jointly by the four members of the state’s congressional delegation.
“I am pleased CCRI is receiving this important funding to help students broaden their horizons and help the state build a stronger workforce,” Sen. Jack Reed, a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing federal education programs, said in a media release.

“Expanding access to affordable higher education is one of the best ways to create economic opportunity for young Rhode Islanders and strengthen our local economy,” said Rep. David Cicilline, a member of the House Community College Caucus.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, who serves on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, congratulated CCRI and its contribution to building Rhode Island’s workforce, as did Rep. Jim Langevin, who called the community college an “agent of social mobility for so many adults.”

The grant arrives via the Department of Education’s Educational Opportunity Centers grant program, which supports counseling and guidance on college admissions to individuals seeking postsecondary education. The EOC also helps improve participants’ economic and financial literacy, and assists in finding financial aid.

“In its 37-year history, the Rhode Island Educational Opportunity Center program at CCRI has helped thousands of Rhode Islanders improve their lives through postsecondary education,” said CCRI president Meghan Hughes.

“We are thrilled RIEOC has been funded for another five-year cycle so it can continue providing vital services to over 3,000 adults each year, most of whom are the first in their family to attend college.”

The North Kingstown Democratic Town Committee endorsed Jim Langevin Monday night in his reelection bid to represent the Second District in the United States Congress.

“Jim Langevin is as committed to helping Rhode Island families as he has always been, and he remains accessible to and supportive of our community,” said Chairman Anthony Giarrusso. “It is with great pride and enthusiasm that the North Kingstown Democratic Town Committee offers our wholehearted endorsement of Jim in his effort to continue representing us in Congress.”

Langevin started his career in public service in 1986 when he was elected to the state’s Constitutional Convention. He later served as a Warwick State Representative and was then elected Secretary of State. Langevin was elected to the United States Congress in 2000, and currently serves as a senior member of both the House Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees.

“The Democratic Town Committee serves as an active, vocal, and effective champion for the residents of North Kingstown, and I am so grateful for their support in this election,” said Langevin. “Our state and our nation are at a crossroads, and how we tackle the challenges we face today will determine the opportunities of tomorrow. I want to return to Congress to ensure we meet those challenges head on and in a way that benefits all Rhode Islanders.”

In the 2016 election, Langevin has already received endorsements from the Rhode Island Democratic Party State Committee, the Rhode Island Association of Democratic City and Town Chairs, Democratic Town Committees in Burrillville, Johnston, East Greenwich and Providence, and from the AFL-CIO.

“Community health centers provide comprehensive, coordinated and affordable care to our communities and to the most vulnerable Rhode Islanders, in particular,” said Langevin. “Building health center capacity and expanding services for these individuals and families that need it most, will increase access to preventive treatments and other critical health care services and will foster healthier communities.”

The CCAP provides comprehensive, quality, affordable health dental and behavioral health care for the entire family. Their board-certified doctors, nurse practitioners, dentists, hygienists, licensed clinical social workers and other healthcare professionals are knowledgeable, caring, understanding and dedicated to getting people healthy and keeping them healthy.
“We are extremely excited about receiving this grant and want o thank our entire federal delegation for their continued support,” said Joanne McGunagle, president and CEO of the CCAP. “This funding will allow CCAP to expand much-needed quality and affordable dental services at our Coventry health center.”

Part of Wednesday’s conversation with the CCAP staff focused on ways to get word out to the community that the health care service is there in Coventry and offers a full array of much-needed services. Some services are taken care of, in part, through health coverage while other needs are provided for on a sliding scale.

“The work you’re all doing here speaks for itself,” Langevin said, in response to the staff thanking him for his help at the federal level. Langevin felt it was important to make this one of his many stops as he makes his way across the state, so he can see first-hand the work that is being done throughout the state in so many areas, healthcare being just one of them.
According to a press release, his tour began Aug. 1 and will take him through a series of business tours, constituent meetings and public events. He’s calling it his summer “Rhode Trip.”

“Being accessible to the people I represent and to all Rhode Islanders has always been a top priority,” he said. “Whether it’s an in-person town hall meeting or at my first-ever Twitter town hall in May or just in the local coffee shop, I encourage my constituents to reach out and connect with me and my office to share concerns, ask questions and give feedback on the challenges and opportunities that are facing our communities.”

Langevin said Rhode Island is the smallest state, but its population is very diverse. The CCAP is now accepting new patients at their center, located at 191 MacArthur Blvd in Coventry.

The money will go towards enhancing efforts to better detect microcephaly and other negative birth outcomes cause by the Zika virus infection.

U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Jim Langevin and David Cicilline have secured the funding for Rhode Island just weeks after the first cases of locally-transmitted Zika were identified in Florida, according to a joint announcement.

In the statement, Senator Jack Reed stressed, “the presence of the Zika virus in Florida is an alarming development, and as reports of Zika continue to increase in the continental United States, it’s critical that we are vigilant in our efforts to contain the virus and ensure the health and safety of our state and nation.” Reed is a member of the Appropriations Committee, who is working to ensure the $1.9 billion emergencysupplemental funding request President Obama set forth in February to combat the virus.

According to the World Health Organization, since February, the number of countries reporting cases of Zika has grown from 26 to 55. In Rhode Island, there are 21 cases of Zika, and more than 1,600 confirmed cases across the country, stated the news release. These cases have all been linked to international travel.

‎“This federal funding will help our state promptly identify expectant mothers and infants who may be infected with Zika, so they get the health care they need as quickly as possible,” said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

The funding is set to be administered through the Rhode Island Birth Defects Program at the Rhode Island Department of Health, according to a news release.

“I am glad that the CDC has made these funds available so that Rhode Island can continue its surveillance, prevention and response efforts to combat the spread ofZika,” said Congressman Jim Langevin in a statement Tuesday. Langevin, along with all other Rhode Island Senators and Representatives, believes more needs to be done by Congress to address the disease.

Congressman David Cicilline stated, “Although this is an important first step, it’s critical that we do more. I will continue fighting in Congress for robust funding that vigorously addresses this public health crisis.”

“Being accessible to the people I represent and to all Rhode Islanders has always been a top priority. Whether it’s at an in-person Town Hall meeting, at my quarterly Lunch with Langevin, online at my first-ever Twitter Town Hall in May, or just in the local coffee shop, I encourage my constituents to reach out and connect with me and my office to share your concerns, ask questions, and give feedback on the challenges and opportunities that are facing our communities,” said Langevin.

The Second District includes: Burrillville, Charlestown, Coventry, Cranston, East Greenwich, Exeter, Foster, Glocester, Hopkinton, Johnston, Narragansett, New Shoreham, North Kingstown, Providence, Richmond, Scituate, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Greenwich, West Warwick and Westerly

“Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, but it is comprised of incredibly diverse communities and is full of people with different experiences, opinions, and perspectives. Each one of those perspectives is important to me, just like every city and town in the district is important, and I can’t wait to get this adventure underway,” Langevin continued.

Summer is my favorite time in Rhode Island. The heat and the sunshine, the food and the ocean views. Everything seems a little better in the summertime, and the campaign trail doesn’t feel remotely like work when you’re knocking on doors in beautiful weather and meeting Rhode Islanders with so many interesting stories and perspectives to share. Life is good.

All eyes have been trained on national politics, it seems, this season, but my primary election is fast approaching. The election season is already halfway gone, and November will be here before we know it. But before the leaves change and we bid summer farewell, I’m working hard to defend my seat in Congress. I’ve enjoyed attending events in support of my colleagues at the state and local levels, and also meeting with Democratic city and town committees to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing our state and our nation.

I have received endorsements from the Rhode Island Democratic Party State Committee; the Rhode Island Association of Democratic City and Town Chairs; the Young Democrats of Rhode Island; Democratic Town Committees in Burrillville, East Greenwich, Exeter, Johnston, North Kingstown, Providence, and Warwick; and from both the AFL-CIO and the Rhode Island Building and Construction Trades Council. I will continue to campaign on my record and on my vision for a stronger Rhode Island, and I hope to add more endorsements in the weeks to come.

I hope you’re enjoying the summer as much as I am. Take time to enjoy our beautiful state at this wonderful time of year, and I hope to see you on the campaign trail soon!

“The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is an important ecological and research resource for Rhode Island, giving us a barometer to observe changes in the natural environment in and around the Bay while also offering opportunities for education, recreation, and stewardship. I want to commend the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and NOAA for their continuing partnership in managing this important reserve,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee which provides funding for NOAA programs.

“Narragansett Bay is Rhode Island’s most important natural resource,” said Whitehouse. “A healthier Bay means a healthier economy. With support from NOAA, our Research Reserve can continue its important work protecting our coastline and helping Rhode Island address the effects of climate change in the Bay.”

The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is a partnership between NOAA and the state’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to promote informed management and sound stewardship of Rhode Island’s coastal resources. The Reserve conducts research, education, stewardship, and training activities for students, educators, and coastal-related organizations. The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which was founded in 1980, is a member of a network of 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves, representing distinct coastal ecosystems across the country.

“As we continue to assess, predict, and fight the effects of climate change, these funds will go a long way toward not only restoring damage along our coastline, but also making Rhode Island more resilient and protecting the environmental resources that play a vital role in our economy, tourism, recreation, and quality of life in our state,” said Langevin. “Congratulations and thank you to the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for your tireless work protecting our coastal and estuarine ecosystems, and for inspiring a new generation of environmental stewards through your advocacy and education.”

“The Narragansett Bay is a national treasure,” said Cicilline. “This critical funding is an important step to ensuring that future generations will have access to this natural marvel. It is also a vote of confidence in the stewardship of the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which has done an incredible job preserving and restoring the Bay. This decades-long partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration and the RI Department of Environmental Management clearly represents the best in federal and state collaboration.”

The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses 4,453 acres of land and waterways on Prudence, Patience, Hope, and Dyer Islands. Properties owned by the Reserve are used as monitoring sites for detecting ecosystem shifts caused by climate change and coastal development.

“We are fortunate in Rhode Island to have the leadership of Senator Whitehouse and our Congressional delegation,” said DEM Director Janet Coit. “The Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is conducting important research that will strengthen our state’s resilience and help preserve our precious water resources. The Reserve is also an important training ground where both educators and families are learning about environmental science and stewardship, and cultivating a love of nature. This funding will be put to good use, and we thank the Congressional delegation for their continued support of this incredible program.”

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